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Ray Marion posted:

I am looking to weather my NYC Niagara and need color photos. I want it to look like its in service and not ready for the torch. Unfortunately most pics I have found are black and white. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Ray

Ray,

You might purchase the book "Know Thy Niagaras" from the New York Central Historical Society, or from other on line book sellers (the book isn't cheap, but it is the best out there). As a gauge, the NYC generally had VERY good water, so there would be a limited amount of white mineral water deposits in the boiler. Also, a feature which seemed to be typical of NYC main line road steam locomotives, was the very black soot deposits below the exhaust stack, on top of the smokebox (this effects is VERY difficult to reproduce on model steam locomotives). 

Ray Marion posted:

Thanks Ironman. I forgot about that book. I will have to check and see if my club has a copy. Thanks for the pic; I do have that one. I can't figure out the shiny side rods though. Wonder if they always are shiny. Hoping Jack (Hotwater) may help me.

Ray

Ray,

Generally ALL steam locomotive side and main rods are "shiny" right out of the servicing terminal. Remember that it was against ICC (now FRA) rules to paint any and all side/main rods, as the paint could/would hide any defects/cracks. Thus, locomotive right out of the shop, or servicing facilities would have clean "shiny" rods and nice black drives & running gear, as it all would have been steam cleaned prior to lubricating the bearings. Also note in that photo, the Engineer's cylinder head cover has been replaced and not yet painted. Just my opinion but, I don't believe that that locomotive is quite ready to be dispatched yet.

Hot Water posted:
Ray Marion posted:

Thanks Ironman. I forgot about that book. I will have to check and see if my club has a copy. Thanks for the pic; I do have that one. I can't figure out the shiny side rods though. Wonder if they always are shiny. Hoping Jack (Hotwater) may help me.

Ray

Ray,

Generally ALL steam locomotive side and main rods are "shiny" right out of the servicing terminal. Remember that it was against ICC (now FRA) rules to paint any and all side/main rods, as the paint could/would hide any defects/cracks. Thus, locomotive right out of the shop, or servicing facilities would have clean "shiny" rods and nice black drives & running gear, as it all would have been steam cleaned prior to lubricating the bearings. Also note in that photo, the Engineer's cylinder head cover has been replaced and not yet painted. Just my opinion but, I don't believe that that locomotive is quite ready to be dispatched yet.

Hi Jack, a question if I could, I’ve studied this photo before, and I can not say for 100% what all the yellow marks are. So rather than guess, I’d like to know what you say it is.....thanks!....Pat

harmonyards posted:
Hot Water posted:
Ray Marion posted:

Thanks Ironman. I forgot about that book. I will have to check and see if my club has a copy. Thanks for the pic; I do have that one. I can't figure out the shiny side rods though. Wonder if they always are shiny. Hoping Jack (Hotwater) may help me.

Ray

Ray,

Generally ALL steam locomotive side and main rods are "shiny" right out of the servicing terminal. Remember that it was against ICC (now FRA) rules to paint any and all side/main rods, as the paint could/would hide any defects/cracks. Thus, locomotive right out of the shop, or servicing facilities would have clean "shiny" rods and nice black drives & running gear, as it all would have been steam cleaned prior to lubricating the bearings. Also note in that photo, the Engineer's cylinder head cover has been replaced and not yet painted. Just my opinion but, I don't believe that that locomotive is quite ready to be dispatched yet.

Hi Jack, a question if I could, I’ve studied this photo before, and I can not say for 100% what all the yellow marks are. So rather than guess, I’d like to know what you say it is.....thanks!....Pat

I must admit that I don't see "all the yellow marks". I did see a lot of, what appears to be, sun-light reflections off the polished/cleaned rods and wheel treads. Then there is that big unpainted cylinder head cover.

Hot Water posted:

I must admit that I don't see "all the yellow marks". I did see a lot of, what appears to be, sun-light reflections off the polished/cleaned rods and wheel treads. Then there is that big unpainted cylinder head cover.

Looking through the "KTN" book, there are some color photos of Niagaras in not so good condition. It appears to me that the yellow might be some kind of primer paint. In a couple of photos, the yellow shows all over the boiler as if the black paint has peeled away.

Last edited by Big Jim

OK....I deleted photos in this thread because of copyright violations.  You CAN NOT scan books and post photos without permission by the author.  PLEASE read about this in the featured topics.  If you are going to copy pictures, then send this to each other via profile email and DON'T post them on this forum unless you have permission or you are the creator/owner of the photo....

Niagra 2 001I apologize, didn't realize. This picture, which was deleted, was taken by my uncle who worked for the Grand Central & the succeeding railroads since he was 17. He gave it to me after he retired with 40+ years of service, along with a box full of RR artifacts, about 20 years ago. He was quite proud of the photo especially after he realized how excited I was with his memorabilia. He passed over 10 years ago, never published a single photo & it is mine solely, to share.

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Last edited by OGR CEO-PUBLISHER

As an example:

Williams brass Niagara old snapshot; loco done 20+ years ago. Basic weathering can be fairly simple. I actually used a can of Testors flat black held straight over the loco from a couple of feet to get the sooty effect - this was after spraying the entire loco/tender with Dullcote (canned).

I painted all the tires and rods with good-quality acrylic flat black with a brush (good acrylic leaves no brush marks). The lightened underside/trucks, wheels were achieved with pigment powder, I believe.

It's basic (like the loco), but I like it. (Loco is ERR Cruise Commander equipped; renumbered from 6010 to 6011.) 

DSCN1250

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